I spent the next hour recalling the events of the evening to Osta. She hung on my words as I told her about the group I’d nearly exploded on and my moment of revelation on the pavement. How relief flooded me once I realized no one was around towitness what surely looked like an insane person losing their grip on reality.
It really wasn’t too far off.
“I mean, they did destroy a good portion of our paycheck. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you had shredded their minds,” she joked, playing with her hair.
I shot her a serious look, but a small laugh escaped my lips. We both leaned back into the couch as she reached over to hook her arm with mine.
I sighed. Osta always knew how to bring light to even the most dire of situations. It was one of my favorite things about her. Well, when it wasn’t being used against me.
“So… you’re really going to do it then? Take the General up on his offer?” She eyed me curiously.
“I mean, I’d rather skin myself alive than be anywhere near him, but I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice. It wasn’t exactly an offer, either. More of a threat…” I trailed off. “Maybe it won’t work, and I’ll be eating my words in a few weeks, but I think I have to try. I can’t just run away from this.” I shrugged, twisting my lips.
Osta looked down. “So, youweregoing to run?” she asked, her eyes taking on a glassy sheen.
“I really thought it was the best option… but don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I guess if it all goes badly, you could visit me in prison.”
She nudged me. “You’re not going to end up in prison. I think you’re really going to do it. Learn how to control this.”
I wished I could share in her optimism, but I was built differently. Conditioned to assume the worst.
“I’m proud of you, you know,” she murmured. “And I’ll always be here for you. Anything you need.”
She always was. I gripped her arm tighter and nodded.
“Even if we have to make the General’s portrait into our new dart board, I’m along for the ride,” Osta promised.
We both laughed. It was nice spending a few normal minutes together. I wondered how many more of them we would have.
I tooka shaky step onto the cobblestone path, eyeing the card that General Ashford had left behind. I knew the street, everyone did. It was where the Sídhe Guard held residence in Luminaria.
But just because I knew the location did not mean I’d ever ventured anywhere near it. In fact, avoiding it was one of my favorite pastimes.
Now I was headed there willingly. Hesitant, but willingly. I was trying to take a page out of Osta’s book and look on the bright side. After all, it wasn’t every day you got to sell your soul to the very institution that destroyed your homeland, killed your parents, and branded you a child of the Rebellion.
My jaw twisted.
I was still working on it.
As I trudged through the busy streets, my dream from last night slipped into my thoughts. It was another odd sequence of events–not horrific or traumatizing, just strange.
I was moving quickly through dense fog. Twisted vines snaked across the muddy earth. They disappeared behind me as I floated through the void.
Two glowing golden eyes finally met my gaze, obscured by the mist. They stayed locked on me before disappearing again into the darkness. I tried to follow them, but they were too fast.
And then I woke up.
Either my subconscious was taking it easy on me, or it had run out of material.
I neared the familiar edge of the Western district, heart fluttering as I turned down a street I had never set foot on. I let my gaze wander up. The architecture looked similar enough to therest of Luminaria–vines cascading over stone buildings, moss spattering the cobblestone.
But as I focused on the view ahead, everything became more structured, more orderly. Nature faded out, revealing the enormous assortment of towers that made up the Sídhe Guard Compound. The streets were crawling with armored and uniformed soldiers milling about and talking amongst themselves. The sheer amount of emerald-encrusted serpents was nauseating. I tucked my head down and quickened my pace.
For Esprithe sake.
My strides became less confident as I neared the looming monstrosity of the Compound. The encroaching structures were carved into dark stone, and gilded edges adorned the exterior. The Sídhe Guard insignia was sprawled across the front in roaring shades of gold. The General’s card stated that I should take the exterior entrance, the one that would bring me directly to his office. I glanced down the street that lined the eastern side, identifying the giant staircase indicated in his directions. Begrudgingly, I made my way to the ramp, careful not to bring too much attention to myself. The idea of being here was turning my stomach in knots.
The metal stairs absorbed my steps, leaving me in an eerie silence. I put one foot in front of the other, trying to shut my brain off. If I thought too hard about what I was about to do, I might turn around.
